' . . .and they have escaped the weight of darkness . . '

July 2012
James Compton, Arts Writer

Craig
Ruddy | ‘...and they have escaped the weight of darkness'

Individual figures in this latest body of
work by Craig Ruddy fix the viewer with studied recognition, enhancing the
intimacy of confrontation. It is an assemblage that leaves a lingering impression,
and provokes a variety of responses that coalesce around cycles of renewal and
rebirth; the sloughing of skins in a soulful mutability of inter-relationships
that define human existence. He explores aspects of the noble truths that we all
must contend with while surrounded by profane distractions in our day-to-day
lives.

Viewed in sequence, the collection has an
evolutionary language encoded within delicate watermarks of experiential
progression. The non-traditional nature of the medium, archival ink on tempered
glass, gives an ephemeral quality as fragile as the emotive subject matter.

Ruddy has overtly acknowledged the debt of
inspiration owed to the Icelandic composer Olafur Arnalds while creating this
series of work, and has borrowed the title ‘...and they have escaped the weight of
darkness' with the full support of his multi-instrumentalist muse.
Arnalds' music ascribes northern hemisphere melancholia, repetitive and
cyclical in melodic structure, which moved Ruddy to tears at regular intervals.
Tears, perhaps, of release which in turn brought forth a sense of affirmation
reflected in the artist's deep feeling for his subject matter.

It was while living in Brazil that he began
exploring this new amalgam of techniques. Inspired by the dynamism of coastal
Latin America, Ruddy began painting and drawing on glass, trying to capture the
dichotomy of knife-edge danger and irrepressible life-force that surrounded him.

Working with ink on both sides of the
glass, he renders a depth of image which suspends colour and form in a sort of
translucence - and brings a filtered quality to the finished artwork. The tidal
contours of archival ink, often in several subtle layers, are outlined and
embellished by a variety of implements - ink pens, calligraphy brushes, a range
of nibs, even rags - and exhibit that coarse-woven line that has characterised
some of his best known previous work. There is canvas behind the glass, roughly
coated in plaster, and in some cases, given an acrylic or oil wash to add
background mood to the more intricate ink work.

Ruddy has pushed this combination of media
in a deliberate but exploratory fashion while ensconced in his Sydney studio.
The ink is a fickle substance, and after application needs time to dry - a
patient process that is finished off under heat lamps. As it moves and
evaporates, a tension between what can be controlled and what flows across the
glass lets new textures develop and invites the subtle creep of random
elements.

The title artwork presents an imposing
union. When viewed with Arnalds' musical accompaniment, it takes on a
heightened presence, an expressive new take on a maternal archetype. Deep-set charcoal
eyes stare with piercing conviction, hands protectively surrounding her newborn
infant as it suckles at its mother's proud breast. Feet firmly grounded, she
stands steadfast with hips cocked, ready to take on all challengers in defence
of her offspring.

In sequence, through a captivating
blue-washed gaze, the companion work of the same female subject shimmers through
a waxy dreamscape that moves beyond the weight, as the title says, and emerges
from the shadows refreshed and reassured.

In a time of great social upheaval, as we
face the decline and fall of many old certainties, Ruddy presents us with an
alternative take on existential choices. To reach the light one must first understand
the darkness. He lays down an invitation to let go of inhibitions and take an
elemental journey through a floating spiritual universe, redolent with feminine
energy. The most important attribute may simply be the courage to begin. James Compton, Arts Writer